Just recently purchased 2000 sporty 1200.Put some baby apes and touring seat on.Now I'm ready to start building an old school chopper out of this bike.I have never rode a hardtail.How is the ride and do they make a weld on hardtail for a 2000 model frame.

miller

27th January 2006, 04:27

I've never seen a weld-on for late model Sportsters, but I have seen people adapt an Ironhead hardtail to a newer Sportster. As far as the ride, you'd do well to ride someone's rigid and decide for yourself. I don't mind it- some people -I LUV XLF!--I LUV XLF!--I LUV XLF!--I LUV XLF!--I LUV XLF!--I LUV XLF!--I LUV XLF!--I LUV XLF!--I LUV XLF!- hate 'em. They are cool looking though.
Eric

moose883

27th January 2006, 04:31

try running struts first...

andy

27th January 2006, 18:00

Just recently purchased 2000 sporty 1200.Put some baby apes and touring seat on.Now I'm ready to start building an old school chopper out of this bike.I have never rode a hardtail.How is the ride and do they make a weld on hardtail for a 2000 model frame.
when I was younger I rode a rigid but it was rough (I live in NYC). At 45 I don't know if I could take it so I got a swingarm. I much prefer the look of the hardtail and couldn't afford the softtail. Definitly try to ride one first.

Gone

27th January 2006, 18:28

Get a seat with springs for your hardtail. Don't try to look like Billy Lane or Indain Larry...oh wait...yeah thats right.. Billy wears a kibney brace when he rides, and larry's seat maker Paul Cox put's a $2000 air ride system uder his ass! Also saw Billy on a Dyna at Sturgis 04.'

I hope your uncle doesn't get pissed when I build a bike that looks like his. That is the look i'm wanting to build.Thanks for posting the pic.I think i'm going to take a chance on the rigid with the seat like that with the springs.Even if it's not real comfortable,it will look so kick ass I won't care.

The rigid frame with the sprung seat is more comfortable than my Sportster...
She's a beauty...i remember...

leo_frantic

8th February 2006, 08:02

Well, I've got your frame right here at my shop. It's a Paughco rigid with no stretch and 30-degree rake. I just put it on eBay, but I'll end the auction if you want it.

rustyjoh

9th February 2006, 01:38

thanks for the offer, but I have a frame I'm going to get from sporty specialtys.It has 5 degree rake no stretch and the picture they show is with 2"over stock tubes.It is the pro street style rigid.It puts the front wheel out a little bit but not to much.I can use my front end and just extend the tubes.I think this will give me the look i'm going for,and still have a good handling bike.

H@mbone!

9th February 2006, 01:43

Thats a great looking Panhead, very clean I like the sissy bar expecially and the bobber tank, looks great all toghether.

leo_frantic

9th February 2006, 07:34

Cool! Kirk is a good guy to deal with. He'll take care of ya.

showmebandit

9th February 2006, 12:21

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/michaelgarrard2001/detail?.dir=52dc&.dnm=7678.jpg&.src=ph
been riding my current ironhead rigid since 1983....you get used to how they ride...,barring the occasional pothole that'll politely (or not) wedge your asshole between your shoulder blades, its not a lot different than a sprung ride...I did run a Softail seat on mine and it gave better support than the solos did even with the springs under them...don't knwo what I'll run this build...I wouldnt try struts...look like shit and do nothing to simulate a rigids ride ....running about 26# of air pressure in the rear tire helps too...oh yeah, try if you can to keep your mid mount pegs somehow....believe me you will indeed want to get your weight off the seat occasionally (se above mentioned pothole inference)I run my forward pegs and my mids too, not only so I can change the position of my legs on road trips but so I can kinda stand on them should I need to or at least get my weight off the spine....oh yeah , I just turned 52...............

opiate9680

13th February 2006, 15:28

Yea Engine, your uncle's panhead is badass man. I was considering chopping my 97' 1200xlh and i pretty much had almost that exact look in mind. Hope yer uncle doesnt mind a couple of bikes on the road looking like his haha.

The rigid frame with the sprung seat is more comfortable than my Sportster...

Hey Engine, do you know the measurements on your uncle's panhead chopper frame? i.e. stretch, downtube and backbone and degree of rake?

Gone

13th February 2006, 16:57

Hey Engine, do you know the measurements on your uncle's panhead chopper frame? i.e. stretch, downtube and backbone and degree of rake?
looks stock to me!

Gone

13th February 2006, 16:59

Plus sportster dimetions are different than big twin.

Ironaut

13th February 2006, 22:56

Hows a rigid ride... Hmmn. Find yerself a nice tall set of stairs, concrete if yer gonna go with a little show seat and carpeted if you'll be runnin' a sprung seat. Now sit down at the top step, grab your ankles and proceed to hop to the bottom on your backside (Butt) as fast as you can. then go back to the top and do it again. Repeat several more times leaning side to side on occasion to simulate turns. You should be getting a pretty good idea of how it will feel but to make sure you know how it will feel you should skip a step or two to simulate the bumps you will encounter. Hope that helps.

Sportster1200

14th February 2006, 07:10

With a spring seat a rigid is on par with a stiffly sprung stocker. The biggest issue is with no suspension the handling is different. Hitting a bump in a corner may cause the rear to hop a little.

Kong

Ironaut

14th February 2006, 12:34

yes yes may cause your heart to hop a little as well- not to mention your spinxster will be as tight as a frogs azz and your spine will feel like a freshly driven rail road spike but hey- you WILL look cool and that's all that really matters when the kickstand drops, right? -beeeelch-

vert306

14th February 2006, 17:22

love the staircase theory, i just put struts on my 95, but have yet to ride it. better get that staircase warm, see what i can expect.

Ironaut

14th February 2006, 21:47

heh yeah my 71 is a rigid and my controls are forward so believe me I KNOW. Someone mentioned having a set of mid controls and I sat for several long seconds in awe... Midcontrols ooooo what a concept- forward and mid, No sarcasm here that is Friggen brilliant! Nothen worse than seeing the bump that makes you wish you had a rubber mouthpiece in coming at you in s l o w m o t i o n . . . you're thinking sonuvabitch this is gonna hurt- You can see alternate lines but there's no time... and yet it seems so long before you actually impact and compress every vertabrae in your body! but damn a set of mid controls Would solve that whole nightmarish ordeal! This is a great site.:doh

skooter

8th March 2006, 01:10

Try Paucho (hope I spelled that right) I think they have an on line catalogue. They have hardtial frames for later model Spoertsters. I am not sure about the rubber mount though.

knucklfrank

11th March 2006, 14:22

I just picked up a '81 ironhead and somebody butchered the back end attempting a lower seat height, hence I need a weld-on section, anybody know of a maker for ther post '78 era.
as for rigids I been riding them for awhile, just lower the air pressure in the rear tire to abou 15# and its a great suspension, thats how I ride the UL

mulisha-mike

18th March 2006, 01:25

Hey Frank..

Give this place a try for the hardtail..
www.kansaskustom.com

Or talk to this guy.They have a wide tire hardtail for the old sportsters.